NH Treasure Hunter Finds WWII Dog Tag, Tracks Down Family
HAMPSTEAD, NH (CBS) - Granite State treasure hunter Joe Crawford is always prepared for his next discovery. He keeps his collection of metal doctors in his truck. He's been searching for buried treasure since 1986.
"I'm not getting rich but I'm having fun," said Crawford.
Two months ago Crawford found what's on every metal detectorist's bucket list, a dog tag.
"Just walking out here I heard a nice sound once you get a solid signal so I dug it. It was Brainard Whiteley. It had all his numbers," said Crawford.
Crawford posted a photo of the dog tag in a Hampstead, NH Facebook group hoping someone would recognize the name.
"Goosebumps and tears," said Judy Dixon.
Judy Dixon is the daughter of Whiteley. She saw Crawford's post and contacted him. The two met this past week.
"It was kind of surreal. We drove to his house and I met him at his house and we just gave each other great big hugs," said Judy Dixon.
Dixon says the Hampstead farm where Crawford unearthed the tag belonged to her mother's family. The Army tag is a symbol of her dad's dedication to our nation. He served in WWII and in Korea.
"It doesn't belong in my shadow box or my collection that's not where it belongs," said Crawford.